Can We Escape Now?
by elsiecarson
Summary: Grace attends a Met party on behalf of the Cold Case Unit because no one else would attend. She's bored and hating every moment until she spots Boyd entering the room. The night improves quickly. Boyd perhaps a bit OOC.
1. Some Enchanted Evening

Grace hates these Met posh events. She only attends because the CCU has such poor attendance records, mostly due to their irascible leader. She's sitting towards the back of the ballroom and is shocked to see Boyd walk in wearing a tux. He never comes to these events. He immediately spots her and after picking up a drink at the bar comes and sits down with her. "Boyd!" Grace says incredulously.

"I know. I've never actually attended one of these, but my superiors told I better show up or else. I hate this." Boyd gripes and sips his drink.

"Well, I can't say I enjoy it either. I've had four strange looks, three pity dance requests because I'm sitting along, two drunk hey baby's and one very drunk man who tripped and nearly ended up with his head in my lap." Grace shivers at the behaviour she's seen tonight.

"That good, huh? It doesn't surprise me at all. The Met never throws a good party." Boyd teases Grace. "You look nice tonight, Grace. That purple is very elegant."

"Well, thank you, Boyd. That's the nicest thing I've heard all night." Grace smiles genuinely at Boyd.

"Dance with me Grace. Let's not waste an evening out." Boyd says gallantly.

"That sounds nice. Yes, I'll dance with you." Grace says happily. Boyd stands up and pulls Grace's chair out for her and then offers his hand to Grace to lead her to the dance floor.

Boyd loves to see Grace being this confident. Grace's skirt on her dress swirls around her ankles as she and Boyd walk to the dance floor. Boyd pulls Grace close to him as they start to dance. Grace feels so comfortable in Boyd's arms. It surprises her, but this feels so right. In order to have her arm around Boyd's shoulders Grace stands up on her tiptoes. Boyd dances very well which also surprises her since he never showed any inclination for dancing before.

Grace looks up at Boyd and is surprised to see his eyes sparkling at her. Grace hasn't noticed, but Boyd has, that everyone else has cleared off the dance floor to watch them. If Grace knew she was being watched so closely she would be intensely embarrassed. Grace leans her head on Boyd's chest as he spins her across the floor. As the music draws to a close the crowd of Met cops begins to clap. Grace immediately blushes. She hates being noticed and she's terribly self- conscious.

"Just smile, Grace. They obviously liked the way we danced, so just be happy." Boyd keeps holding Grace's had as they step off the dance floor. "That was wonderful, Grace. I haven't been able to dance like this for a long time."

"It felt fantastic. I don't think I've ever been able to dance like that. This is a very different side to you, Boyd. I like it. It's a gentler side of you than I usually see." Grace has had a couple of glasses of wine and she's probably more honest than she normally is.

Boyd smiles as Grace speaks. "Grace, can I be honest with you?"

"When have you ever been anything but honest with me?" Grace asks looking up at Boyd.

Boyd smirks. Grace is right. Grace is always right. "I wanted to come tonight because I knew you were coming. I wanted to spend some time with you one on one and see what you looked like all dressed up."

"Boyd," Grace interrupts, "what on earth are you going on about? What's going on?"

"I've fallen for you, Grace. Watching your enthusiasm at work made me realize how much I care about you. When you told me you had cancer I was scared that I was going to lose. I care so much about you, Grace." Boyd admits. He doesn't usually talk about his feelings to anyone.

"Really Boyd? I've never heard you talk like that before. I really care about you too, Boyd. I can't believe what I'm hearing, but I love it. You are so handsome, Boyd. I spotted you the second you walks into the room." Grace is incredulous at what she's hearing from Boyd.

"You look beautiful, Grace." Boyd whispers before he pulls her close and softly kisses her.

Grace quickly responds to Boyd's kiss. He's very talented and he knows it. She can't believe this moment is happening.


	2. Is It Safe to Leave Now?

"Should we get out of here? We put in an appearance. I think we can go without getting in trouble." Boyd suggests.

"That is the best idea I've heard all day. This was disastrous." Grace sighs with relief when she hears Boyd's suggestion.

"So, my house or yours?" Boyd asks as Grace collects her wrap and her handbag.

"I think your house is closer, isn't it?" Grace asks pulling her wrap around her shoulders.

"Yeah, it probably is. I don't know how clean it is or how nice it looks." Boyd is concerned about having Grace at his house. He wants to have a personal experience with Grace, but he wonders if she would be more comfortable at her house.

"Boyd, I can guarantee you that I know you well enough to know your bedroom, at very least, is immaculate. That's the only room that needs to be tidy for tonight. Let's just go to your house." Grace teases Boyd.

Boyd kisses Grace again. "Okay, let's go. Let's leave this bad party behind." Boyd holds Grace's hand and leads her out of the room. "Do we need to pick up your coat on the way out?"

"Yes, I checked my coat when I came in." Grace leans her head against Boyd's shoulder. "I just need to find my tag."

Boyd pauses to allow Grace to search her handbag for her coat check ticket. He gently reaches out and touches Grace's face. He's never seen Grace look so elegant and gorgeous. Grace finds her ticket in the side pocket of her handbag.

"Found it!" Grace says happily. "Let's go before we get caught by anyone else." Grace walks over to the coat check and hands her tag over. She picks up her coat from the counter. Boyd takes the coat from Grace and holds it open for her to slip on.

Boyd escorts Grace out to his car and opens the door for her. He slides into the driver's seat and starts the car. "So, off to my house then."

Suddenly Grace is nervous. It was one thing to talk about this in the romantic atmosphere of the ballroom, but it's another to actually be doing it. She's not uncomfortable with Boyd, but somehow now that they're heading to Boyd's house her nerves have set in. Boyd notices the nervousness in Grace's face and he reaches for her hand to reassure her. Boyd knows how nervous Grace is because he is equally nervous. He shouldn't be because he's known Grace for eight years, but he is. He reaches out and turns the radio on to try and get the two of them to relax. After he turns the radio on he goes back to holding Grace's hand. Boyd's house isn't from the venue and as they get closer the tension in the car rises.


	3. Wine and Foot Massage

Boyd pulls the car into his driveway and he can immediately feel Grace's hand clench around his. He looks over and smiles at Grace. He knows why she's nervous and he wants to make her feel comfortable. He gets out of the car and walks around to help Grace out of Boyd's Audi. Grace follows Boyd to the front door. Boyd unlocks the door and turns the alarm system off. Grace walks into the house with Boyd. "Do you want a glass of wine, Grace?" Boyd asks trying to ease the tension.

"That sounds great. Red if you've got it, Boyd." Grace requests as she shrugs out of her coat and Boyd and hangs it in the coat closet.

"Of course red, Grace. I don't think I've ever seen you drink white wine." Boyd says teasingly. He walks into the kitchen and collects a bottle of red wine and two glasses.

Grace sits down on the couch and slips her shoes off. Her feet are killing her. Boyd walks into the room and passes Grace her glass of wine. He sits next to Grace and carefully puts his arm around her shoulders. Grace leans into Boyd's arms. Boyd and the wine are making her feel much more relaxed. "The wine is very nice, Boyd."

"Well, thank you Grace. Are your feet killing you?" Boyd asks as he watches Grace rub her feet.

"Yes, they are killing me. I wore the wrong shoes tonight." Grace sighs heavily.

"Swing yourself around and put your feet up here and I'll see what I can do." Boyd wants to make her feel better.

Grace leans herself against the arm of the sofa and sets her feet on Boyd's lap. Boyd sets his wine down and begins to massage Grace's feet. "Oh, that feels wonderful, Boyd."

"I do my best." Boyd looks at Grace and smiles. Grace looks so at home exactly where she is. For the first time since Boyd got divorced he can actually imagine having a long term relationship with a woman. He'd love to see Grace here like this all the time. She has smooth, elegant feet, as feet go. He knows that Grace appreciates the tender care he's giving her.

Suddenly Grace pulls her feet away from Boyd and turns herself back around so she's close to Boyd and her feet are close to the arm of the sofa. She stretches up and kisses Boyd firmly. Boyd puts his arms around Grace and pulls her against his chest. Grace puts her arms around Boyd's neck and continues to kiss him. Boyd is remarkably talented and as he pulls away from the kiss he can't help but smile at how easy this has all been. He's sure that Grace will want to have a serious discussion, but he doesn't mind as long as he doesn't have to do it now.

Boyd gently touches Grace's face as her eyes slide closed. Her skin is so soft and she seems so calm. Her thigh presses against his as she leans her head against his chest.


	4. Scars

"Shall we go upstairs, Grace?" Boyd asks. He doesn't want to push her too quickly.

Grace runs her hands over Boyd's chest. "Yes, let's go upstairs." Grace grabs Boyd's hand and drags him towards the stairs.

"I love your enthusiasm, Grace." Boyd wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her neck.

Grace turns in Boyd's arms, part way up the stairs, and kisses him. She finds herself pressed against the wall of the stairs. Boyd is such a forceful person and she's quite glad she doesn't have to be in control of this situation. Boyd is very typically alpha male. Grace leans into Boyd's arms. Boyd kisses Grace's neck and then pulls away and pulls Grace down the hall.

"Come on, Grace. The hallway isn't conducive to what we're going to do. Also, I don't think my back will survive if we stay here." Boyd says as he opens the door to his bedroom and allows Grace to go in ahead of him.

Grace immediately notices all the heavy, dark wood fixtures and all the dark fabrics of Boyd's bedroom. It's so like Boyd. Boyd turns Grace towards him and kisses her passionately. Grace loosens Boyd's bow tie and slips it off. Grace tosses his tie on the bench at the end of the bed.

Boyd pulls Grace's wrap off of her gently. Grace presses herself against Boyd, wraps her arms around his neck and slides her fingers into his silver hair. Boyd puts his arms around Grace's waist and lifts her up off the floor. Grace wraps her legs around Boyd's waist and kisses. Boyd stumbles slightly and then walks confidently over to the bed where he lays Grace down. Boyd lies down next to Grace and she turns onto her side to face him. She runs her fingers over his cheek before she kisses him softly. She feels Boyd's fingers running through her hair. "You're so beautiful, Grace. I know you don't believe that, but you look so lovely."

Grace blushes demurely. Boyd's right; she doesn't believe him. She used to think she was beautiful, but that was a long time ago. She reaches out and runs her hands across Boyd's muscular chest. She slowly unbuttons Boyd's shirt. She can see the nervousness suddenly apparent on his face. She knows he has scars and he must be self-conscious. She pauses in undressing Boyd, kisses the bare chest she can see, and says, "There's nothing you need to worry about. You're very handsome, Boyd. I hope you know that."

It's Boyd's turn to blush which is almost unheard of. "Thank you, Grace. I needed that, I think." Boyd holds Grace against his chest.

"Your scars are part of who you are, Boyd. You may not think they're attractive, but you wouldn't be you without them. Please, don't be so self-conscious. Odds are however self-conscious you are, I'm feeling about 10 times more self-conscious. It's been a long time for me, Boyd." Grace whispers against his chest.

"Don't be self-conscious, Grace. You're beautiful. I'm surprised I didn't notice that before." Boyd sits up and shrugs his shirt off. Grace reaches out and runs her fingers over the scars on Boyd's chest. Some of them are raised and obviously newer whereas others are silvery white and obviously much older. Each scar is a sign of the terrible things that Boyd has seen and the dedication that Boyd has had to his career. Grace presses kisses to the scars on Boyd's chest.

"Can you feel that?" Grace asks as she looks into Boyd's eyes.

"Not on the actual scar tissue, but the surrounding skin still has feeling." Boyd explains to Grace. "They're not painful anymore either." Boyd reaches around to Grace's back and begins to unzip her dress. "Let me know if you get uncomfortable."

"I'm fine, Boyd. It's sweet of you to say though." Grace kisses Boyd firmly and she can feel the passion rise. Boyd rolls Grace onto her back and then straddles her waist.


	5. You're Right Of Course

A half hour later Grace and Boyd are laying on top of the blankets all hot and sweaty. Grace's head is laying on Boyd's chest and Boyd has his arm around Grace's waist. "What on earth took us so long to get to this point?" Boyd asks with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Well, I think that we both felt a certain duty to remain appropriate while we were working together. There were boundaries we both thought we shouldn't cross, but sometimes boundaries are made to be crossed. It took us long enough to get here." Grace teases.

"Bloody hell, it took us far too long to get here. We wasted time trying to be proper. I've never been concerned about propriety." Boyd says teasingly.

"Alright, you've made your point. You're right of course." Grace admits.

"Did I really just hear you say I'm right? Did I die and actually go the right way? The two things that just happened seem very surreal, but fantastic. You're wonderful, Grace." Boyd says glibly.

"Well, don't get used to me saying you're right. It won't be a habit and no, you haven't died. You're very much alive, Boyd, and you should know that after tonight." Grace's fingers roam over Boyd's chest.


	6. It's Freezing!

"I'm freezing!" Boyd murmurs sleepily. They're both so content they don't want to move.

"Me too, but I don't want to move. I'm too comfy right now." Grace mumbles tiredly. She can't remember a time in the last 8 years when she wasn't exhausted.

"Grace, we're both going to catch pneumonia if we lay here much longer. We have to move." Boyd says firmly.

Grace sighs heavily. "Alright, I'll move. Which side of the bed do you want?"

"I don't have a side of the bed. You pick and I'll take the other side. I'll be right back. I'm just going to grab some pyjama pants. Do you want a t-shirt?" Boyd asks as he pulls his arm out from under Grace and goes over to his chest of drawers. He pulls out a pair of grey pyjama pants. He pauses and waits for Grace's answer.

"Yes please, Boyd. I'm chilly." Grace says quietly.

Boyd pulls a pale blue t-shirt out of another drawer and walks over and passes it to Grace. She slips the shirt on and Boyd loves how sexy she looks wearing his shirt. He lets Grace get settled on the side of the bed she wants and then he gets in the other side and slides right in behind her. Boyd puts his arm around Grace's waist and kisses the top of her head before he turns out the light.

Grace feels so comfortable in Boyd's arms that she's quickly asleep. She snuggles against Boyd's chest. Boyd is always warmer than she is. Boyd slowly falls asleep happy and sated. Just as he almost asleep Grace rolls over and flings her arm across Boyd's waist. Boyd smiles at her actions. Grace has always been more touchy-feely than he is. Tonight, however, he finds that he doesn't mind the cuddling so much and that is rare for him. Normally he doesn't stay after with women overnight and he normally doesn't allow the women he's with to stay. In fact, normally he doesn't even bring women to his house. He'd rather book a hotel room, but Grace is different and she deserves more than a hotel fumble.


	7. Good Morning

Boyd wakes first in the morning, which doesn't surprise him, and he finds himself watching Grace sleep. He hasn't watched anyone sleep since he was married. Grace looks calm and innocent and Boyd is surprised that he's had this moment at all and he hopes he will get to continue to have moments like this with Grace. He notices her burrowing down into the blankets and gently pulls her closer to him. Grace is always cold. Boyd is quite glad that they don't have to be at work today. He pulls the blanket back up and attempts to go back to sleep. He knows he needs more sleep than he's been getting recently. He's too warm under the blanket but he doesn't want to move or disturb Grace. Grace turns his face into Boyd's chest as the sun begins to filter into the room. Normally she likes to sleep in a very dark room.

When Boyd wakes up again Grace is still asleep. Last night, between the party and their personal activities, obviously wore Grace out. She hasn't had the same amount of energy since her fight with cancer. Boyd wouldn't wake her for anything in the world. He wants her to be well rested and happy. He relaxes and waits for Grace to wake up. He waits as long as he can for Grace to shift or wake up until the bathroom beckons urgently. He pulls his arm out from under Grace and walks quickly and quietly to the bathroom. When he comes out of the bathroom it's clear that Grace is stirring. Boyd lies down on top of the covers and slides towards Grace. "Good morning." Boyd whispers in Grace's ear.

Grace groans slightly and slowly opens her eyes. Boyd runs his fingers through Grace's hair. "Good morning," Grace says sleepily. She sits up and leans against Boyd's shoulder.

Boyd kisses Grace's cheek and puts his arm around her shoulders. "We should get up, I suppose, unless I can tempt you to have breakfast in bed."

"We may have to have breakfast in bed. I don't have anything to wear." Grace teases Boyd.

"I think I like you best this way. You're so at ease with yourself. It's so nice to see. I've never seen such confidence in you before, at least not in your beauty." Boyd says seriously.

Grace blushes demurely. Boyd is right. She's not usually so confident in her own attributes. The fact that Boyd has finally noticed how beautiful she is gives her more confidence than she's had in ages. She kisses Boyd's cheek and relaxes in his arms. "What are we having for breakfast, then?"

"Well, I'll have to check and see what I've got, but I do make excellent eggs and there are tomatoes and sausages and bread in the fridge. We could have a really good breakfast." Boyd thinks carefully.

"That sounds really yummy, but I still don't have anything to wear." Grace teases Boyd.

"Well, you're wearing my t-shirt and I can let you wear a robe of mine. I know you're always cold so I'd never make you just wear my t-shirt in the winter." Boyd says gently. He walks over to his closet and pulls out his robe he wears and a cosy one for Grace. "Here you are Grace. I hope it's warm enough."

Grace slides out of bed and takes the robe from Boyd. "It's fabulous. Thank you, Boyd."

Boyd pulls his robe and boxers on and smirks at what Grace says. "Grace, after last night don't you think you should be calling me by my first name?"

"If I start calling you by your first name it's going to be really odd if I start calling you by your first name at work accidentally. Besides, you don't like your first name." Grace ties the robe that Boyd let her borrow. It's giant on her.

Boyd thinks she looks beautiful. Her hair is rumpled and her face looks so fresh. Even her bare feet poking out the bottom of the robe are cute. Boyd walks down to the kitchen with Grace padding along behind him. She has such quiet feet. The whole situation is so domestic and happy. The kitchen is not particularly clean but Boyd can still cook in it. He finds all the ingredients he wants for breakfast. "Can I rely on you to make tea, Grace?"

"Of course you can. Isn't there anything else I can help you with for breakfast?" Grace asks as she finds the kettle and the teapot and some mugs for tea.

"Let me try and be a gentleman for once, Grace. You do so much for me and I want to do something nice for you. I am perfectly capable of making breakfast. I've managed to survive being single for a long time." Boyd says with a cheeky smile.

"Alright, I'll you be the domestic diva for today, but I will make toast and tea for us." Grace says firmly.

"You just hate not to be helpful, don't you? Why is that?" Boyd asks as he fusses with things on the stove.

"Just the mother in me, I think. I got used to doing everything around the house, so not doing anything, especially for breakfast, is not natural for me now." Grace analyzes.

Boyd chuckles and shakes his head. She's probably right. She usually is and she definitely is the mother figure for the team. She's always checking that everyone is okay and that Boyd isn't coming down on them too heavily. The stove is covered in pans of food before he turns back to Grace. "So, do ever just relax? Do you ever let that feeling of responsibility go?"

"Do you? You carry around a huge sense of responsibility? When is that not on your mind?" Grace challenges.

"It's always there." Boyd admits. "I wish it wasn't. I wish I could give it up, but I can't as long as there's a chance Luke is out there and safe somewhere."

"I understand that. I know my children are safe and I still feel responsible for them. It doesn't matter when they call. Whatever they need I'll be there. It never changes. It never goes away." Grace walks over and hugs Boyd.

"Do you think that's normal or are we supremely screwed up people?" Boyd whispers.

"I think it's normal, but I think like most people we take it a bit farther than most people." Grace says honestly.

Boyd finishes making breakfast and Grace already has toast and tea ready by the time he puts plates on the table. Silence reigns in the kitchen over breakfast as they read the newspaper trading sections back and forth as they finish each one. The only small sound, every so often, is Boyd grumbling over certain articles.


End file.
